Navigating Financial Turmoil with Faith: Transform Your Challenges

Brett McCollum (00:00.628)
Alright guys, welcome back to the show. I’m your host Brett McCollum and I’m here today with Mike Belfor and today we’re going to be talking about faith and business. Before we do guys, at Investor Fuel we help real estate investors, service providers and real estate entrepreneurs to 5x their businesses to allow them to build the businesses they’ve always wanted and live the lives they’ve always dreamed of. Without further ado, Mike, how are you man?

Mike Belfor (00:22.572)
I’m doing well, Brett. Thank you so much for having me. So blessed to be here and so thankful for the time that we have.

Brett McCollum (00:28.482)
Dude, absolutely. We are, I think we just discovered we’re brothers from another mother, you know, and we had a great time catching up before the show, but want, do those a favor, catch people up to speed for me, back up a little bit, rewind, and who’s Mike Bell for?

Mike Belfor (00:44.29)
Bell for guy who was raised in Northern California went to Southern California to start undergraduate studies. I found myself working for a bank, a large bank and

At one point, you know, I’m just doing home like a lens of credit making dials falling up with people It’s kind of how my career started when my grandfather had gotten older and had passed away I felt the need to go home and take care of my grandmother and I moved home and then found myself working for a mortgage company Shortly thereafter and that’s really where my career began took me to Hawaii back to Northern, California Through the slums. So I’ve been through the Great Recession. I know what that looks like I know where you are right now as we record this and stuff we’re seeing it’s

Very different is what I tell most of my clients and we’d to go over inflationary figures with most of our clients. Screen them, make sure they understand investment, returns, what happens in real estate throughout most recessions. If we look at the last six, the last five they’ve done well. know, and year over year we’ve been able to grow. I mean, candidly what we were speaking about earlier was just God and what he’s done in my business. know, COVID years were what we call unicorn years. They’re great. Everybody loves a unicorn, but being realistic it goes down to

you know, what’s your mean in potatoes? Gravy’s nice, but let’s stick to meat and potatoes. I had my greatest year as a loan officer last year, aside from those COVID years, and people ask why, and I’m like, well, the Lord has just blessed me. And I’m not a prosperity gospel guy. I’m not a guy says, well, ask, and knock, and he’s just going give you everything. It’s not like that. As we know, when has the Lord taken somebody out of a trivial situation? However, seeking him in a market like this one has really blessed us.

Brett McCollum (02:07.777)
Mmm.

Brett McCollum (02:17.431)
Yeah.

Mike Belfor (02:26.154)
bless my family. We figured out things through discernment, prayer, counsel, of ways to kind of still be incredibly aggressive in a market like this one and still do incredibly well. you know, candidly that’s where we are now and it’s just really, you know, as we’re talking, what can we do to bring more of the faith into our industry and what can we do to really kind of keep things structured and foundationally planted upon knowing that, hey, it may not be the best day ever, but you know, seek first hekeenah.

Today’s today, don’t worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow’s got its own worries. And just keep walking.

Brett McCollum (03:01.003)
Yeah, that’s incredible. Let’s back. So, let me do this too. Before we, You’re married, kids? What does life look like for you there?

Mike Belfor (03:09.784)
Yeah, so the work front so um, candidly, um, yeah, I married my amazing wife Jacqueline in 2019 When we first started talking, uh, she wouldn’t let me take her out for a few months. Um I convinced her uh, we uh, and then uh, our first date was at the taco shop The next day was jumping on a plane to Kenya for a mission trip. Um, and then uh, yeah I’m like, oh she’s beautiful. She’s smart. She’s incredible. She’s great spirit about her

Brett McCollum (03:31.531)
No.

Mike Belfor (03:38.838)
some skin it is still house nicely talk is with her it’s whole yeah i’m sitting in my you know mud hut with no internet no anything really and you know like just kind of had to seek in the war in that time is is this week as a great trip came back and she was there and then we kind of been attached to the hip ever since

Brett McCollum (03:43.501)
Yeah, right.

Mike Belfor (04:00.684)
You know, we have two beautiful daughters, a one-year-old and two-year-old, that are my everything. And the biggest thing about going back to, I gave the work rundown, but the biggest thing is family, right? It’s God, family, work is just something that provides for it. But to slow down and look at that, it’s just creating balance. And I found that incredibly important, especially these last couple of years, is creating balance so I can be more present for my family at the same time.

Brett McCollum (04:05.047)
nice.

Brett McCollum (04:23.063)
Yeah.

Brett McCollum (04:28.587)
Yeah, you know, I’m glad you said that balance. It’s funny though, I have a mentor. He taught me that there’s no such thing as time management because we can’t control it. It’s going to happen. can’t rewind the clock. can’t fast forward the clock. It’s just going to happen. But you can have priority management. And so something he had instilled and preached to me was on that not return on investment as much as it’s important to your return on your time because your kids, your wife, you know, they need us.

And they need more of us than our work demands of us. And as entrepreneurs, think we oftentimes fall into that trap of like, I need to keep building this business. I need to keep building this thing that I have. I need to keep doing this because it’s for you, wife, kids, et cetera.

Mike Belfor (05:13.88)
Yeah, if my wife was here, Brett, she’d hug you. I mean, but it’s true because that’s one thing that we talk about often.

Brett McCollum (05:19.403)
Well, it’s a daily walk, buddy. It’s a daily walk. It’s not, and I’m not sitting here on this other side of this camera saying I figured that out. I struggle with that because it is, I am attempting to give and offer a life that, you know, I didn’t grow up with. And I’m like, God, you’ve blessed me with this ability to produce something for them. And I have to be a good steward of…

the gifts that you’ve given me and there’s this, like you said, there’s that balance but it’s so interesting. it’s the idea that why can Chick-fil-A close down on Sundays and outperform every other fast food chain in the country? There are 52 days out of the year that they’re not open where everybody else is. Right?

Mike Belfor (06:04.066)
You know, there’s a really good book. Have you read that book?

Was it the hurry? What was it? The subtle? Yeah, have you read that thing?

Brett McCollum (06:13.323)
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry? Yeah, yes, I say unfortunate because my wife goes, for you. She read it first and then she goes, this is yours. I was like, yes ma’am. Courtney.

Mike Belfor (06:24.728)
What’s your wife’s name? You are a blessing, Courtney. Have you read it? You read it. How many times have you read it? I read five times. Yeah, I had to. Because in there, it talks about what you’re talking about, the 52 weeks. Do you remember that when he talks about Adventist, Seventh-day Adventist?

Brett McCollum (06:30.061)
I did. I did. I did read only once. Did you really? Yeah.

Yep. That’s what I’m saying. That’s where I’m coming from. That’s probably where, yeah. It’s, man, it’s a difficult switch to turn off for us as entrepreneurs because we’re wired a little differently. know, like going and working in nine to five wouldn’t do it for us. But also, like I said, when I have a day off of some kind that we created and my kids go,

It’s this conviction of like, man, that’s all they want. You know?

Mike Belfor (07:16.586)
want more of you. Yeah, I mean that’s your first ministry is your family, right? And it’s so funny because that book, I can’t believe I forgot the name, but…

Brett McCollum (07:20.103)
Absolutely it is.

Mike Belfor (07:26.744)
I’ve been up since 430. So I wake up early, I have my coffee or pre-workout, I read, pray, then I go to the gym, workout, come back, get the kids up, right? That’s kind my daily. But it’s funny because that book, he’s talking about the 52 week thing. And it’s very interesting because there’s a study done on the lifespan of those in different faith based systems and talks about some of the Adventists. He talks about how they had 10 years longer of life. And if you look at the average lifespan that equates to actually the reasoning goes back to taking that one

Brett McCollum (07:47.393)
Yes.

Mike Belfor (07:56.7)
day off a week that you know they’re there in worship and being disconnected and people yeah and it transcends to recessions people are worried about this recession granted recessions aren’t a thing if you’re looking to retire this year it’s not gonna be a good thing but if we were looking to retire five ten fifteen twenty years from now young in this industry

Brett McCollum (08:00.246)
It’s almost like the Bible knew what it was talking about, huh? Taking this out and keeping it holy, you know?

Mike Belfor (08:17.848)
going to work out. How do I know this? I’ve been through a few recessions. I’m 45. I’m not, you know, super old, but I’m not a young buck anymore, right? So at end of the day, we know that what goes down

goes up, what goes up must go down. Nothing moves in a straight line, but it will be continuous appreciation. You will in turn be blessed. If you’re retiring this year, you might have to hang out for a little bit. Things do come around. And so what I’m saying with that is it goes back still to that original scripture. Go to the Old Testament, you know, and go back to those years of famine. Go back to the years of Jubilee. You look at this and they let the ground rest.

need a correction. In most recessions we’ve had every seven to ten years since I look at it, it goes back to really the Old Testament. We have a lot of things that took place. In fact, I’m working on a book that unpacks the Federal Reserve so someone would understand how our currency works. And it’s because I read a much larger book that was like a brick. It’s like my grandmother’s old

family Bible from the 1800s where you know it’s like this big and I’m like okay let’s let’s minimize it and make it less than 200 pages I’m still working through this and hoping to have it out next month but the idea is what can we do to help people understand that really since the beginning there’s always these seasons and understand the good seasons the bad seasons you understand there’s a season to plant a seed you water it it bears fruit you trim it eventually you have to rip it up you have to plant another seed and it’s those seasons that we’re working through but it’s the same thing with us and so if you’re taking

Brett McCollum (09:45.922)
Yeah.

Mike Belfor (09:47.79)
time with your family and you’re going back to your family investing in your family investing in your wife and your kids yeah you could take that Sunday off I don’t care what the markets doing you got to invest that first because they’re the ones that could be there in the good times and the bad and you know as it says in Job right the Lord gives and you take it the way the idea here is like blessed be the name of the Lord no matter what situation you’re in really ultimately I think that’s what’s getting a lot of us in this industry especially in this market through it all

Brett McCollum (10:04.269)
Mm-hmm.

Brett McCollum (10:13.355)
Yeah, I agree. Yeah, because right now it’s difficult. most people that aren’t in our listening audience here, haven’t had the blessing of going through a down market before this. This is their first experience. how do you adjust and pivot and do that? I think there’s a lot of, I think scripture gives us a lot of lessons in.

Mike Belfor (10:27.488)
Yah, yah, yah.

Brett McCollum (10:42.113)
how to operate even though, yes, that’s what I love about the Bible by the way, Mike, is however many years ago it’s written is applicable right now. And if you notice when Solomon and and Solomon are talking, what do you want? And he asks for what? Wisdom. Now Solomon is not.

without fault. Like the man had like how many wives in concubine 700 or something like this and you look at that and it’s like.

So wisdom and common sense are not the same thing. You know what mean? But you see, and then he goes through these things, and when he prays for wisdom, and God gives it to him, becomes the wisest man to ever live, is what the Bible tells us. And you see Solomon, and you go, well, if the wisest person that ever lived, what questions was he asking?

And I think there’s a lot for us as entrepreneurs, as real estate investors, is learning to ask the right questions versus, let me back up a little bit, and I’ll stay online with this, but I tell them I’m training my children with this. And it’s very convicting. Isn’t it funny though, with your kids, the things you tell them and teach them, you’re like, dude, that’s really convicting, I should probably apply it to myself.

Mike Belfor (11:59.512)
Dude, I got a kids Bible I read to my daughters and it’s like It’s pictures and it’s not even like exact, you know, it’s not like an edge of Jesus You’re not gonna get like a King James or even a and have your NLT or the message out of it, right? It’s just like little stories and it’s like it literally goes from Genesis all the way to Revelation and it’s so funny because like I read that the you know, I’m my two-year-old I just sit there like

Brett McCollum (12:14.765)
We have those here.

Mike Belfor (12:24.28)
I’m sorry. It’s just I’m convicted. I’m like, yeah, it just hits me a different. Yeah, it’s it’s funny because that’s a simple thing. if you’re listening to this, you’re not a believer, you know, of course, I would say at least seek it out. And what I bread is saying, I think is huge. But to start with the book of Proverbs.

I mean, you’re not saying, hey, much more, but read that book of Proverbs chapter by chapter. There’s 31 of those bad boys. 31 days in, I think, next month, right? In May? So start May 1. Read chapter 1.

May 2, read chapter 2, and then also read Ecclesiastes because Solomon also gained all this wealth. Because what happened, God’s like, oh, since he didn’t ask me for power, strength, the greatest kingdom, riches, I’m going to hook you up. I’m going to give you this, this, and this anyway. But the thing is, is you can have wisdom, but you have discernment. So my secret, it’s not a secret, I share it a lot, is when I pray every morning, there’s three things I pray for, wisdom, guidance, and discernment.

And why? Because Solomon asked for it. if it’s along God’s will, how would that not be along God’s will? He wants to make you wiser, more discerning, and understanding for the things that he has planned. Now, your plans are not his plans. If you’re investing in real estate, and I’ve invested quite a bit, candidly, I have.

Ten doors. I’m in a great spot. know, I can’t leave my wife and I joke like, if we left this industry today, we could retire. But I enjoy what we do. I enjoy blessing people. I enjoy helping people with their wealth, helping them budget, helping them make wise decisions in what they do. That’s part of the process of my intake process when I talk with my clients. But the thought is, it’s got to make sense. So how does it make sense? That’s discernment. So you can have wisdom. So you’re reading these books. You might read a really great book that talks about real estate investing.

Mike Belfor (14:12.984)
You you could talk with a mortgage advisor, assistant myself, a real estate, could do, you could do take your notes and figure out what’s going to make sense. How’s it going to thrive? You know, what does that look like for you? But having the discernment of whether or not it’s actually going to make sense, I think is huge. And if you are married and Brett, you and I know this, consult with your wife. I mean, like you got to run it by the family, dude. And like, and that’s everything and taking the time and making sure there’s balance in that sort of thing.

Brett McCollum (14:33.205)
Okay.

Brett McCollum (14:36.813)
Yeah.

not even just running it by your wife, Mike, but when she speaks, there’s probably a level of discernment that she has that I don’t, and I need to probably listen a little bit closer, because I, she doesn’t get the business like I do, Mike, you know, she doesn’t know what I know, you know, but you know what, had I listened to her for some of the things that we’ve gone, I probably wouldn’t have been in some of the spots we’ve been in, but what I was gonna say is like,

Mike Belfor (14:54.594)
Yeah.

Brett McCollum (15:03.273)
with our kids in our parenting style. It’s so funny, I get this conviction often. I tell them, and my kids, they are sitting right in front of us right now, I will ask this question and they will repeat it back. Response what? And they’ll go, response matters.

And response matters, I wish I could put it on a shirt, like response matters, because what I find with entrepreneurs, investors, and frankly just people in general, we are reactors. We don’t respond, we react.

And so I think a lot of the troubles that we go through in the real estate industry, in the down market, stuff like that, and we’re reacting to what’s happening instead of responding to it. I think there’s a lot of, that’s why that prayer for wisdom that you were talking about in discernment and understanding is so important so that you can respond well to any circumstance, anything that’s coming up in our business, right? And not just go, well, shoot, rates change,

taxes increase and insurance is out of control and well, I’m just gonna, you you’re reacting. You know? And then getting with somebody like a mic that’s in the lending side. By the way, you’re talking to the unicorn ears, you’re unicorn in the lending space. There are not a lot of believers in the lending space that I know.

because you know this, in any industry by the there’s a lot of sharks out there, As in the real investor space and everywhere. Having a lender that actually is seeking the Lord and looking for wisdom and ultimately serving, because that’s Jesus’ model too, right? We serve first. And how do we serve people in the best way through a product like money?

Brett McCollum (16:49.815)
to provide the best outcome for the people that are hiring us, right, and our clientele. And in real estate investor space, you’re sellers. How do you treat them and serve them and love them, right? But reacting to the things that are happening out there in the marketplace right now, guys, I’m gonna point all the fingers back at me when I tell you, like, chief among them, this guy, you know, right here. You know, I…

Mike Belfor (17:13.944)
Thank

Brett McCollum (17:16.053)
I’ve made so many mistakes simply by reacting. And it’s funny, it’s like when I tell my kids…

Response matters and I’m like crap. So I don’t know man, think what we’re talking about from that is like using our, again if you’re not a believer and that’s okay, where you’re at is where you’re at right now and I know God still loves and sees you. But even if you’re taking scripture from a educational source and reading Proverbs.

Mike Belfor (17:23.892)
Hahaha!

Brett McCollum (17:48.876)
like Mike was talking about, there’s so much just wisdom packed into that, that is absolutely daily application that we can provide to our businesses, to our home life, and you know that. So, I’m glad you said that.

Mike Belfor (18:04.536)
Well, mean, yeah, the big thing is, is people ask, you know, it’s like, you know, because the evangelical model goes back to Matthew 28.

and after christ had risen from the dead he’s there and he’s gives what we call the great commission or the great commission is what i call it right um but this idea that like we’re supposed to go out there and make disciples and what’s that mean what means just to share the news of the good news and how’s it good news guy died in the cross well he’s resurrected and whoever puts your faith hope and trust in him that has you know eternal hope that outweighs anything that we’re going through right now and it’s it’s is salvation and

that’s this, that’s that, and you know, but the thing is is if we truly believe that, and that was our conviction, and we’re cuckoo or crazy, and I could go into C.S. Lewis quotes where he talks about a poach to a random thing. It’s good. Look it up, by the way. If you hear that, you’re like, what does that mean? Go look it up. It’s great. That’s another great book, very heady one, Mere Christianity. But it’s out of love.

And if we truly believe that, we don’t want anybody to perish. We don’t want a guy that cuts us off on the freeway. The guy that, you know, that… I mean, we all go there and we struggle, but the idea here is, if you’re listening to this, the idea is, remember, if someone shares the gospel with you, invites you to church, remember, it’s out of love, because they truly believe in their passion over the fact that they think that and believe with every conviction through what the Lord showed them and what they believe through their own faith, that, you know, that is the way.

and that you wouldn’t perish. And that’s how to love. It’s not out of like judgment. It’s never out of judgment. Because at the end of the day, and people are like, oh, you Christians, now we’re here to build bridges and not barriers. And that’s what it comes down to. Why? Because that’s what Christ did. So that said, now you go back to this market. I’ve been in the Great Recession. That’s really where I bent my own knee and my life fell apart. I was married to a gal.

Brett McCollum (19:37.804)
Yeah.

Brett McCollum (19:59.982)
Mmm.

Mike Belfor (20:03.574)
I was angry, was stressed, working 24-7 trying to make things work, I chasing unicorn deals and never closed.

Everything fell apart and I wasn’t making money. And I felt like my identity was in the money I was making. I had a great house or a condo, a loft in San Francisco, right by the ballpark. was going to 40 Giants games a season. I was doing well. I I had suits and wine and dine and the whole thing. All the stuff that the world says is cool.

And I realized that, you know, like, okay, like I was stressing because the market fell and I wasn’t able to produce for my wife then. And I really hope she’s well, there’s no will, torture. I wish honestly, I thank God for it because I won’t be where I am today. And I have an amazing wife. I’m incredibly happy with two beautiful girls, as I had mentioned. But yeah, she went off and she took off. left and it hurt. And I didn’t know where to go, but I know that my mom was a believer and

Brett McCollum (20:56.461)
Hmm.

Mike Belfor (21:05.171)
I knew that Christ had really worked in her heart and changed her life. And so I found myself at Kaveri Chapel, Paloma.

And I was in the pastor’s office, I kid you not, during that recession. I kid you not. Every single day. I would go to morning worship at 6 a.m. where they’d worship in communion every morning at 6 a.m. I spent, I’m not joking, eight hours a day in Scripture every single day for about a year. I read through Scripture four and a half times. I was memorizing Scripture, taking notes, doing the whole thing. And I was still working mortgage. My ex had then left. But God provided.

Brett McCollum (21:30.337)
Wow.

Mike Belfor (21:40.28)
So through that hard season, I still was paying my bills. I was growing. The one year I did fairly well. The next year I did 30 % better than that. The next year I did about 35 % better than that. And I continued to grow and grow and grow from that point. And it was almost like a restarted. And I look back at that and I look at this recession and you’re like, well, is this recession worse than this last one? And we’re not in recession yet. They usually say we’re in recession in case you’re wondering after we’re actually in the recession.

Brett McCollum (21:55.618)
Yeah.

Mike Belfor (22:05.592)
But this is harder than not market-wide, because that was a band-aid. A bunch of people did a lot of crazy loans that they shouldn’t have been doing. People are greedy. The sharks were out there more so then than now, because there’s very different laws and licensing, what have you. Everything shakes up. It turns around. These people are kind of predatory lending and all that stuff was out there, as we know. People lost everything. So you basically had a property that was worth $500k, that may have repriezed you $600k, but it was being repriezed for a million. That would be gone to sale for $300,000.

So everything was on sale. So as soon as that band-aid ripped off and all these properties were on sale, then of course you saw a flood of buyers come back in because things were affordable again doing real loans, right? Where you qualified somebody through Dodd-Frank was the law that came out through that time. And then we had the CFPB and everything else. That was different than this market. And that’s why I tell people in this market that was easier than right now. But here’s the funny thing. If you think about that season and the season we’re in right now, it’s a season.

Brett McCollum (22:35.949)
Mm-hmm.

Brett McCollum (22:46.103)
Right.

Brett McCollum (22:49.601)
Right, yep.

Mike Belfor (23:06.456)
It’s hard to see the forest when you’re a tree, but when you’re on top of a hill you can look back like That’s what it was and then he makes you stronger for the next one And so I’d tell anybody encourage anybody for investing this market if you’re working this market for your mortgage real estate escrow insurance Insurance guys in California praying for you, but at the end of the day It’s a season

Brett McCollum (23:06.551)
That’s it.

Brett McCollum (23:27.755)
in Florida, man. It ain’t any better.

Mike Belfor (23:30.304)
Yeah, so I hear all about you guys, but we actually had a podcast with insurance providers talking about Florida actually about a month ago. I should get you on my podcast, right? But it’s funny, man, because it’s a season and it’s not forever. You know, the most out of context thing I’ve ever.

heard anybody and even non-believers say is this too much, this too shall pass, right? We always hear that. But it’s true. And you’re going to go through valleys, you can hit mountaintops. You’re to go through valleys, you can go through mountaintops. But the thing that key is, is number one, where’s your foundation? Number two, how are you keeping the balance? Family, things that matter to you so you can stay healthy. And there’s pillars to that. Stephen Covey talks about this. So you’re then just balanced emotionally, physically, mentally, spiritually, right? And yeah, you’re working.

Brett McCollum (24:09.837)
Mm-hmm.

Mike Belfor (24:18.828)
but workers and everything, because it’s going to come back. You spend a dollar, you make a dollar. You spend a dollar, you make a dollar. You lose money, you make money. It’s just what happens. so when it comes down to it, as you’re saying, and I want to just bring it back full course, or from the giant bunny trail here, I do that. Too much coffee and pre-workout in the morning. But it is chapter day of Proverbs. Read the book of Ecclesiastes.

or like, I hate God, but you’re like, man, maybe there is some wisdom here. Do it. Just be encouraged to try it. Look it up. Don’t buy a Bible. If you want to spend money on the Bible, Bible sales are up, by the way. But if you want to just do that, Google Proverbs 1. Read through it today. Or you can do it 21. What is today? 23rd? Or 24th? Read 24. Read 25. Read 26. And just go through it then read Ecclesiastes. Because what Solomon talks about, we talked about Solomon.

Brett McCollum (24:52.663)
Yeah.

Brett McCollum (25:08.471)
Sure.

Mike Belfor (25:14.168)
He talks about how he gained the entire world. And it’s all like chasing the wind. Because remember, yeah, I mean, you never seen a U-haul be hard in the hearst, right? I mean, it’s just one of those things I think that’s important to think about and contemplate and just kind of digest. That’s kind of where we’re going for Sarkozy to say, read Proverbs.

Brett McCollum (25:19.297)
That’s it.

Brett McCollum (25:24.107)
Yep.

Brett McCollum (25:30.807)
Yeah.

Brett McCollum (25:34.796)
Yeah, and I appreciate that. I think it’s just really important. And I think a lot of the theme that we’re talking about too, if we really rewind back, our emotions are a very fleeting thing. One day I’m happy, one day I’m sad, one day I’m this, one day I’m that. These are emotions. And that’s a very easy thing for me to sit on this camera right now and say is like, you

That’s why that principle of where’s your foundation, where’s your real hope at, where’s your real trust at, because I may not be feeling happy tomorrow. I may not be feeling sad tomorrow. I may not be feeling whatever you name the emotion. And guess what? I might be happy in one second, then somebody punches me out of nowhere and I’m angry the next second, you know? And I have a cricket in my garage that won’t shut up right now. And it’s…

Mike Belfor (26:24.962)
Yeah, bro. Yep.

We talked about that though man, it’s like the birds of the air enjoy it bro. It’s a beautiful cricket

Brett McCollum (26:33.449)
and I’m upset and angry for a second, right? You know, and it’s stuff like that, right? But these are our emotions and they’re fleeting and we can’t trust them.

Mike Belfor (26:36.694)
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Brett McCollum (26:43.169)
And that’s why that back talking to that your response matters. Our reactions are, you know, are oftentimes when we react, it’s based on emotion. And so I think in our in our current landscape and marketplace, you know, how you’re able to continue to grow Mike and have, you know, you know, business success is not necessarily because Mike is so great or, you know, it’s, you know, hey, I’m not emotionally responding to these

things or reacting to these things rather instead I’m gonna stop take a breath pray seek you know and then respond you know and those are lessons that but Mike you’ve been through it you know you went through stuff you went through I can’t imagine so right now I’ll just for the listening audience I’m going through some really tough stuff in our business even this market’s hard okay it is

But thank God I have my wife by my side through that. Right? And that is a blessing. And you having walked through that, and I’m not so, like you know my heart here hopefully is, I’m not stepping on toes when I say this ideally. But you walk through that where it didn’t work out in that way. And how hard that must have been.

to go through that season. And then, you know, the thing is, even through that, probably the forest for the trees in that time is like, I’m never gonna get out of this. This is the end, you know? This is, it.

Mike Belfor (28:14.038)
hard. mean, I, yeah, I had to have a buddy drop 20 bucks in my account so I could see a movie on my birthday. You know, I mean, it was, yeah, and then, yeah.

Brett McCollum (28:21.823)
Yeah. Yeah.

But watch this. You still did.

not the way you may have wanted, but it was still provided, wasn’t it? And that’s the faith. So we’ll kind of need to wrap up with this part right here, but you’re talking about seasons, right? And so our pastor, it’s a pretty common thing that he’ll say, you’re either talking about seasons, you’re either going into a valley, you’re in the valley, or you’re coming out of it. And it’s always on that cycle.

Mike Belfor (28:37.208)
100%.

Brett McCollum (28:59.903)
Either in, going through, or coming out. And then it’s just on a cycle.

Mike Belfor (29:06.039)
You know what that cycle is called in theology? It’s called sanctification. Have you heard that word? Yeah, so I mean, of course I’m sure you have, but maybe the audience’s idea that you’re continuing to be refined, is that refining fire. What does that mean? You’re continuing to be made, if you’re a Christian, and the likeness of Christ, you’re resembling that, right? And the idea is sanctification, that you’re continuously just being made stronger.

Brett McCollum (29:09.293)
What’s that?

Brett McCollum (29:12.865)
Beautiful. I love that. Yes.

Brett McCollum (29:33.613)
Mm-hmm.

Mike Belfor (29:34.908)
And these things and the way to picture as, and I hear a million sermons on people’s that you go to the gym and you do bench press. You don’t start with three plates. You start with maybe the bar for most folks has never done one. They’re like 12. And then you continue, continue, continue. You lift and then you get strongest. It’s refining. It’s continuing. And what happens when you build muscle? It’s.

Brett McCollum (29:44.033)
Right. Right.

Brett McCollum (29:57.151)
It rips and tears first.

Mike Belfor (29:58.262)
You rip and tear the muscle. It heals, it rips and tears, it heals, it rips and tears, it heals, and it continues to get strong through that refining process.

Brett McCollum (30:05.867)
Yeah, and that’s incredible. And it’s just something that, you know, and I know there’s not a lot of, this is frou-frou and exciting and rainbows and butterflies on this show, Mike. But it’s a, you know, I think this is timely for people as we’re going through a season of tough.

Mike Belfor (30:22.552)
That it.

Brett McCollum (30:22.925)
but knowing that sanctification is a part of it, knowing that, you know, hey, this is a refining process, knowing that, you know, it gives us that hope of, you know, because nothing, I mean, it is just a fact of life that you’re not, you’re not always gonna have the mountaintop.

Mike Belfor (30:40.984)
No, and it’s that’s okay. You know, and if it’s okay, I hope this is okay, Brett. But if anybody has or wants business planning material, I have and I’ve done, I do presentations every year. I’ve recorded them. I have a recording I could send over to you.

Brett McCollum (30:53.421)
Mm-hmm.

Brett McCollum (30:56.939)
Well yeah, Mike, that’s perfect that you’re bringing that up, because I was literally just about to ask you if people want to connect with you in some way, what’s the best way for that to happen?

Mike Belfor (31:03.352)
Yeah, just find me online, mikebelford.com. Super original, right? Let’s go mikebelford.com. Please, if you want the presentation, if you want the booklet, if you want budgeting booklets, if you want a free coaching call to go over budgeting, planning, pick my brain. Please, I’m here. really, I feel like I have a care and a hope to help. I don’t want to do this. I want to teach. I want to coach football.

Brett McCollum (31:32.706)
Yeah.

Mike Belfor (31:32.952)
Right? Like, I didn’t want to do this for a living. But here I am. And so the idea is, what can we do to bless people, encourage people? yeah, connect with me, please. I mean, I’m here to help anybody. It’s a tough season. We’re going to get through it. And even if you need prayer, visit me online. Dude, I need prayer. Praying for you. Seriously.

Brett McCollum (31:44.64)
I it.

Brett McCollum (31:52.205)
Absolutely. think we ought to, so, man, Mike, this has been so good. I didn’t know what this would turn into when we first got connected, you know, and I’m glad we did. I think it’s timely. I think there’s a lot of us going through some difficult things right now. And, you know, and again, if you’re not a believer that, you know, hey, that’s okay.

Regardless of that, our hope and our faith and our prayers is continued that you’re gonna get through this. It’s gonna be okay. Well, man, Mike, dude, thanks for being here with me and doing this. This has been great.

Mike Belfor (32:24.536)
Brother, thank you for the time. I’m blessed by you, man. Thank you for the invite and allowing me to do this with you. And you and I are connecting more so after this as well, by the way, bro. So yeah, for sure.

Brett McCollum (32:33.106)
Yeah. Dude, Mike, I appreciate it. And guys, thanks for hanging out and spending your time with us as well. We’ll see each of you guys on the next one. Take care, everybody.